1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to active material emitting devices, and more particularly, to active material emitting devices and components thereof.
2. Description of the Background of the Invention
A multitude of active material emitting devices or diffusers exist in the marketplace. Many of such devices are passive devices that require only ambient air flow to disperse the liquid active material therein. Other devices are battery-powered or receive household power via a plug extending from the device. A cord may be coupled between the plug and the device, or the plug may be mounted directly on the device.
Various means for dispensing active materials from active material emitting devices are also known in the art. For example, some devices include a heating element for heating an active material to promote vaporization thereof. Other devices employ a fan or blower to generate air flow to direct active material out of the diffusion device into the surrounding environment. In another type of device, active material may be emitted from the device using a bolus generator that delivers a pulse of air to eject a scent ring. Still other diffusion devices dispense active materials utilize ultrasonic means to dispense active materials therefrom.
In one example an active material emitting device includes two heaters for dispersion of fragrances. The device includes a housing, a plug extending from the housing for insertion into an outlet, and two containers having fragrances therein and wicks extending therefrom to absorb fragrances from the containers. Each of the heaters is disposed adjacent one of the wicks to heat the respective wick to vaporize the fragrances therein. Optionally, a CPU controlled by internal software may activate a first of the two heaters for a predetermined period of time. After the period of time expires, the CPU deactivates the first heater and thereafter activates the second heater.
Other active material emitting devices include a housing having a cavity for receiving a cartridge. The cartridge generally has a plurality of scent elements disposed on a rotatable disk. A blower is mounted in the housing to generate airflow by passing air across a scent element and out an aperture in the housing. The housing further includes rotating means that rotate the rotatable disk, thereby rotating the scent elements thereon. The device diffuses a first scent for a predetermined time period and thereafter rotates the disk to a second scent and diffuses the second scent for the predetermined time period. This process repeats itself until the last scent element is diffused for the time period and then the disk is rotated to a home position.
Piezoelectrically actuated vibratory type liquid atomization apparatuses are described in Helf et al. U.S. Pat. No. 6,293,474, Martin et al. U.S. Pat. No. 6,341,732, Tomkins et al. U.S. Pat. No. 6,382,522, Martens, III et al. U.S. Pat. No. 6,450,419, Helf et al. U.S. Pat. No. 6,706,988, and Boticki et al. U.S. Pat. No. 6,843,430, all of which are assigned to the assignee of the present application and which are hereby incorporated by reference herein. These patents describe an apparatus comprising a piezoelectric actuating element coupled to a liquid atomization plate. The piezoelectric actuating element vibrates the liquid atomization plate in response to alternating electrical voltages applied to the actuating element. The vibration of the plate causes atomization of a liquid supplied to it by a liquid delivery system. An electrical circuit is provided to supply the alternating electrical voltages to conductive elements that are in electrical contact with opposite sides of the actuating element. The conductive elements may also serve to support the actuating element and the liquid atomization plate in a housing that contains the device.
Various types of active material cartridges have been utilized both for solid, semi-solid, gel-like, and liquid active materials. For example, one type of cartridge for use with a heated device includes a reservoir with active material therein, a vapor permeable layer covering the reservoir for dispersion of vapor therethrough, and a vapor-impermeable layer disposed atop the vapor-permeable layer. The vapor-impermeable layer is peeled away from the vapor-permeable layer when it is desired to use the cartridge. The reservoir includes a centrally-disposed free-standing rib extending upwardly from a bottom surface of the reservoir and terminating slightly below the vapor-permeable layer so as to not interfere with the vapor-permeable layer.
Another cartridge for use in a passive device includes two reservoirs for active material, wherein each of the reservoirs includes a vapor permeable layer covering the reservoir for dispersion of vapor therethrough and a removable vapor-impermeable layer disposed atop the vapor-permeable layer. Removal of one or both of the vapor-impermeable layers allows dispersion of the active material into the surrounding environment. The two reservoirs are connected to one another by a flexible hinge.
Another cartridge for use in various active material emitting devices includes a rigid cylindrical body having a cylindrical inner compartment and a cylindrical outer compartment that surrounds the inner compartment. The inner compartment preferably includes a battery disposed therein for providing power to a fan and/or other components within an active material emitting device. The outer compartment includes a vaporizable material usually in the form of a packet having a semi-permeable covering.
A free-standing cartridge for emission of one or more fragrances includes one or more reservoirs for holding the one or more fragrances therein. The reservoir(s) may have the shape of a bottle or the like, and further include a dispensing opening that is preferably designed as a snap-off opening.
Another cartridge includes a cylindrical housing which is made of any suitable imperforate material. The housing includes an apertured top and bottom made of a rigid material such as plastic or metal. A battery is mounted in a central portion of the cylindrical housing, wherein an annular space is defined between the housing and an outer surface of the battery. A support strip material impregnated with an active material is mounted in the annular space, wherein the support strip material takes the form of an accordion pleat having folds, thereby forming air passageways between sections of the support strip material.